1. BY
ADEBOMI, OYEWUMI (Ph.D)
And
Olufemi, ADIGUN
Department of special Education,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
BY
ADEBOMI, OYEWUMI (Ph.D)
And
Olufemi, ADIGUN
Department of special Education,
University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
1
MODIFYING LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
TECHNIQUES TO ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS
WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT
MODIFYING LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
TECHNIQUES TO ACCOMMODATE STUDENTS
WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT

2. IntroductionIntroduction
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 Hearing is an invaluable and vital aspect of our daily
experience. It is the most important sense for the acquisition
of language. When hearing is defective, it poses a serious
threat to children because hearing is crucial. Hearing
impairment is a generic term that includes hearing disabilities
ranging from mild to profound, thus encompassing children
who are deaf and those who are hard of hearing.
 Hearing impairment is the greatest handicap which revolves
around the development of communication skills.
Communication difficulties pose the biggest challenge when
children with hearing impairment participate in regular
classroom programme.

3. Introduction cont’dIntroduction cont’d
 Children with hearing impairment may be very intelligent but
without the ability to understand their peers and express their
feelings and wants they are likely to be frustrated. This may
result in an extended period of tantrums or becoming
withdrawn.
 Oyewumi (2000) stated that such abnormal behavior
inevitably has repercussion for the normal process of early
interaction and language development which in turn has
implications for cognitive and social skills development.
Individuals with hearing impairment are usually confronted
with two major challenges which include limitations resulting
from their disability and the bias they experience from the
hearing persons.
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4. Introduction cont’dIntroduction cont’d
 According to Mba (1995) the question on the right of deaf
children to quality probably did not arise from problems of
hearing loss as much as it is of prejudices they experience
from the hearing.
 For instance, a special school Head teacher in the defunct
Bendel state of Nigeria once asked the Permanent Secretary
of the State Ministry of Education, “Sir, where are the
materials for my special school?” The Permanent Secretary
responded “Special School or what? I told you the materials
are not enough for the real schools and you are mentioning,
special schools. Is it not when materials are enough for real
schools and there are some leftovers you can request for
special schools?”
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5. Challenges of educating the deafChallenges of educating the deaf
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6. Language and writing dexterityLanguage and writing dexterity
 Researchers have shown that educational outcomes for
students with hearing impairment have not been parallel to
those of their hearing peers (Braden, 1994; Schimes, 2000;
Ademokoya and Oyewumi, 2001). Foremost is the fact that
literacy rates among students with hearing impairment are
well below the desired level with educational studies showing
that the reading comprehension abilities of students with
hearing impairment are significantly lower than those of their
hearing peers (Strong and Prinz, 2000).
 It should be clearly stated that this point that language
deprivation of children with hearing loss affects not only their
language processing abilities but also their linguistic
comprehension and production.
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7. Language and writing dexterity cont’dLanguage and writing dexterity cont’d
 The factors that affect the language development of students
with hearing impairment are simultaneously affecting their
literacy acquisition and thus their educational outcomes. The
cognitive issue associated with communication barriers in the
classroom pertains to cognitive development at-large as well
as particular domains of cognitive ability.
 Marschart and Wauters (2008) observed a variety of cognitive
dimensions on which evidence points to differences between
the deaf and hearing students. It is worrisome that a great
majority of students with hearing impairment are delayed in
their understanding of the critical relationship between
languages (Nover, Christensen, & Cheng, 1998).
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8. Language and writing dexterity cont’dLanguage and writing dexterity cont’d
 Strong and Prinz (2000), analyzed the English proficiency of
a group of 155 students with hearing impairment between the
ages of eight and fifteen, who used ASL as their primary
means of communication. Result showed a strong correlation
between ASL proficiency and English literacy.
 It is therefore, essential to acknowledge that most students
with hearing impairment come to school without the language
fluencies necessary to benefit optimally from instruction. This
lag not only continues through the school years, affecting
ongoing learning, but has significant cumulative effects in that
many students with hearing loss fall farther behind each
academic year.
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9. Effects of hearing loss on developmentEffects of hearing loss on development
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10. Classroom accommodation for
students with hearing impairment
Classroom accommodation for
students with hearing impairment
Teachers of students with hearing impairment should make use
of good communication techniques to facilitate
listening/speech reading. They should also:
 directly face the student and be in close proximity (3-5 feet)
 get the student’s attention before speaking
 stand in one place if possible
 speak at a slow/moderate level and speak clearly
 give clear indications of the topic of conversation and alert the
student to a change in topic
 avoid speaking while writing on the board
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11. Classroom accommodation for
students with hearing impairment
Classroom accommodation for
students with hearing impairment
 avoid drinking or chewing while talking
 beards and moustaches can make speech reading more
difficult, keep beards and moustaches trimmed
 keep hair and hands away from the mouth when speaking
 use facial expressions, body language, gestures, etc. when
appropriate (don’t exaggerate) – this will help in emphasizing
a point where as voice fluctuations may not be interpreted
 rephrase (rather than repeat) message if the student has a
difficult time understanding
 point to other students or say the name of the student who is
asking a question or making a comment
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12. Classroom techniquesClassroom techniques
 Understand the different types of hearing loss and their impact
 Understand the functional hearing needs of each particular
student
 Minimize copying (student cannot listen and take notes at the
time)
 Provide handouts such as syllabus, lesson plans, and
assignments ahead of time
 Provide printed copies of overhead or PowerPoint
presentations ahead of time
 If available, provide any visual aids that may assist in learning
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13. Classroom techniques cont’dClassroom techniques cont’d
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 Provide student with the curriculum information in advance,
such as pre-teach new vocabulary and concepts in a small or
one-on-one session (enabling the student to follow the
classroom session better). Provide a copy of the notes or allow
the student additional time for recording any information
placed on the board before erasing.
 Write down technical vocabulary, foreign terms, formulas,
etc. on the board or provide a handout- send these home for
review or review with the student before the class begins

14. Modifying assessment techniques for
students with hearing impairment in
school and public examinations
Modifying assessment techniques for
students with hearing impairment in
school and public examinations
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 The most direct approach for assessment of students who are
hearing impaired is to use tests designed for hearing
students. However, to do so, teachers may need to make
certain modifications in either the stimulus demands or the
response requirements—how the ques-tions are presented and
how answers are given. There are five types of changes or
accommodations that alter the measurement techniques but
do not interfere with .the standard content

15. Modifying assessment techniquesModifying assessment techniques
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16. ConclusionConclusion
 Students with hearing impairment can as well perform better
like their hearing counterparts when give the opportunity to
do so.
 Therefore, given an enabling environment to students with
hearing impairment will in no small measure help them to
perform better various academic activities.
 Modifying the classroom environment and assessment
techniques will help students with hearing impairment to
achieve their aim and to compete favourably with their
hearing counterparts in their choosing career.
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17. Thank you for your
attention
Thank you for your
attention
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